The Wrong Way Home - Epilogue
by iheartsmk
Summary: Ever wondered what happened between our two favorite characters after that intense stare across Dooley's bar? Just how did they move on with their relationship after the ex's return? Here what I think happened ... Hope you enjoy it!
1. At Dooley's - Lee's POV

**The Wrong Way Home  
><strong>**Epilogue**

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own them, don't claim them and don't profit from them; just love to add a new twist to their adventures. :p Enjoy the story!

CHAPTER 1~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**At Dooley's…  
><strong>**Lee's Point of View**

[Music playing] _"It seems like happiness is just …"_

Lee paused to watch Amanda and Joe sway to the song that had once been their expression of love and suddenly, his heart felt heavy with emotion.

She appeared to be enjoying the intimate moment with her ex-husband and he told himself he should just turn and walk away … but he could not. He just stood there thinking to himself how that was _his_ Amanda dancing with that other man.

He had become accustom to being the only man in her life; the only recipient of her attention (excluding her mother and the boys) and of recent, the frequent target of her affection. And yet, there she was sharing a moment with another man – and not just any other man, her ex-husband, a man with whom she shared two children and a meaningful history.

There was no doubt that his feelings for her had grown deeper than friendship. And, up until now, it had seemed mutual. He had hoped to have more time to fully explore his feelings for her, to process what was happening between them and decide exactly what he was prepared to do about it, but then Joe showed up.

And now, standing there, watching them enjoy _their_ song in _their _place, he wondered if he could compete with her past.

[Music playing] _" … a thing called Joe …"_

Then suddenly, Amanda looked his way; as if she felt his internal struggle. She made eye contact with him and he held her gaze passionately. He gently smiled and she returned his expression.

**TBC**


	2. At Dooley's - Amanda's POV

CHAPTER 1 con't~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**At Dooley's…  
><strong>**Amanda's Point of View**

[Music playing] _"It seems like happiness is just …"_

Amanda smiled warmly at Joe. Then something over his shoulder caught her eye. She looked and that's when she saw him. It was as if he had appeared on queue - like he knew her thoughts had just been of him, as she explained to Joe about her new "outside interests."

[Music playing] _"…a thing called Joe …"_

She stood there, gazing at him as the song continued to play on the jukebox. He gently smiled with a look of intensity that was not lost on her and she returned his expression.

Even though they had spent the last few days working side-by-side, it felt like she had not seen him in weeks – her preoccupation with Joe's predicament distracting her. But looking at him now, she could feel the slight distance this case had created in him.

She knew Lee had a million questions and her heart ached at the thought of what he might be feeling at that particular moment, having found her and Joe together. This had been her first real chance to reflect on how hard this case must have been for him ... how difficult it must have been to watch her with Joe and delve into the details of their life together.

There were moments when she had become aware of his struggle and had wanted to reach out and reassure him of his place in her heart, but the circumstances had never afforded that opportunity – except for that one brief moment when they returned from his kitchen with the coffee. She had hoped that quick caress had been enough to remind him of her feelings for him.

A twinge of regret consumed her.

She had been so focused on saving her family. But now that her boys were safe and Joe had been cleared, she knew she needed to find a way to let him know that nothing had changed between them.

**TBC**


	3. At Dooley's - Postscript

CHAPTER 1 con't ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**At Dooley's…  
>Postscript <strong>

And so Lee and Amanda stood there, gazing at each other, with the unspoken sentiments from the weeks past penetrating through their stare.

"Amanda is something wrong," Joe asked as he saw her looking intently over his shoulder. He looked in the direction of her gaze just as Lee made one of his classic exits. Seeing nothing, Joe quickly turned and gave her a puzzled look. Amanda sighed smiling, "No sweetheart, everything's fine."

The song had ended and Amanda was grateful for that. Her heart was no longer in a dancing mood. It was with the man who had just walked away. The one who had instigated her transformation into the woman her ex-husband no longer recognized.

As the two walked back to their table, Amanda's desire to clear the air with Lee grew stronger and she set her mind on talking with him before their young relationship was irreparably harmed.

**TBC**


	4. Early the Next Morning

**CHAPTER 2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~**

**Early the next morning...**

Lee sped along the highway to the Agency, deep in thought. He had spent most of the night thinking about Amanda ... and Joe ... and what Joe's return would mean for his and Amanda's budding relationship.

He had reflected on the twinge of jealousy he felt watching Joe and Amanda walk hand-in-hand into the boarding house ... and how he had felt like an outsider as he watched the King family huddled together in the gym. He wrestled with his thoughts til dawn.

_How can I barge into the middle of that family? How can I be that selfish? _

After all, he knew what it was like to grow up without a family.

_How can I deprive the boys of that opportunity now that Joe has finally returned?_

Finally Lee settled on raising the subject with Amanda.

_After all, she DOES have some say in the matter._

But he did not want to come off jealous or possessive, nor did he want to overstep his boundary. After all, it was not as if they were actually "dating."

_Hell, we're not OFFICIALLY in a relationship at all!_

There had been no feelings expressed for one another, at least not verbally, and he had no claim to her or her heart.

_If she wants to make another go of it with Joe, who am I to stand in her way? _

For all intents and purposes, he was just the man in the shadows.

Lee had been so preoccupied that he barely registered his arrival at IFF. With a hard turn, he pulled the 'vette into the lot and parked in his accustomed spot. He lingered in the car trying to decide how to raise the topic with Amanda. He needed to know where they stood, but he wasn't sure what was appropriate here. All he knew was that he cared for her … wanted to be with her … and if he was losing her, he needed to know now! That's when it came to him …

_I know! I'll ask her out to lunch! It will be casual and friendly; just two old friends catching up. _

He smiled to himself, relieved he had settled on a course of action, even if he was still a little uneasy about it. He exited the car and proceeded towards the building, feeling that this plan would give him a chance to test the waters and see exactly where he and Amanda stood.

It had been a good plan, but all good plans can hit a road-block or two along the way.

**TBC**


	5. At the Agency

**CHAPTER 3 ~~~~~~~~~~~~**

**Inside the Agency...**

Once inside the building, Lee headed straight for the Bullpen to look for Amanda, but before he made it there, Billy and Francine intercepted him outside the elevator about a new case. After that, the morning just flew by. Before he knew, it was 11:17 am and he still had not had a chance to talk to Amanda. In fact, he barely had a chance to even seen her as he shuffled back-and-forth between the Bullpen and the Q-Bureau. Regrettably, he was starting to think that maybe the conversation would have to keep.

**~~smksmksmksmksmksmksmksmksmksmksmksmksmksmk~~**

Amanda sat in her cubicle all morning hoping to catch Lee. Her desire to talk with him had grown over night. Even though Joe was back – for good it seemed since he had accepted the stateside position with the EAO – Amanda was determined that his return would not impact her newfound relationship with Lee.

She had thought about calling him last night, but the hour had gotten late so she decided against it. Besides, this was not a conversation she wanted to have over the phone. She wanted to talk face-to-face so Lee could see the sincerity in her sentiment and more importantly, so she could gauge his response.

But, her attempts to get his attention that morning had failed. All she could do was watch him run back-and-forth through the Bullpen. The task he was working on seemed pretty important. When she did manage to make eye contact with him, the only response he had time for was a regretful half-smile.

_I hope this isn't his way of avoiding me._

**~~smksmksmksmksmksmksmksmksmksmksmksmksmksmk~~**

Amanda was busily typing on the computer when she saw a shadow appear over her monitor. She looked up with a huge grin, finally expecting to see Lee standing before her, but her excitement was visibly extinguished when she realized it was only Francine.

"Well, hello to you too!" Francine quipped. Amanda shrugged in an apologetic manner.

"Amanda, Lee and I need your help on a few things regarding this new assignment we're working on," Francine proceeded to rattle off. "Come up to the Q-Bureau after lunch and we'll fill you in on the details."

Amanda was only half listening as she looked past Francine, scanning the nearby area for Lee. Nothing.

"Amanda, did you hear me?" a slightly irritated Francine demanded.

"Uh, yeah. Q-Bureau, after lunch. Got it Francine."

"Oookkaayyy?" Francine droned as she gave Amanda a suspicious look then turned and walked away.

Dejected, Amanda sighed then reluctantly resumed her typing as she contemplated why Lee had not been the one to ask her about the assignment.

_He must REALLY be avoiding me_. _Guess things are worse than I thoug…_

"Hi there!"

Amanda's head snapped up in response to the sound of Lee Stetson's casual greeting overhead. The excitement she felt over his long anticipated arrival was almost evident.

Unsure of the meaning behind her startled look, he quickly added, "Oh, hope I didn't disturb you," an apologetic look forming on his face.

"No, no, you didn't," she began, attempting to put his concern at ease. "I just didn't expect to see you leaning over my computer screen that's all."

Lee smiled at her warmly, grateful for the clarification.

"So, Francine told me the two of you need some help with a new case?"

"Um," Lee nodded.

"Well, I'll be right up after lunch and you can fill me in."

"Good. Thanks."

There was an awkward pregnant pause as Lee and Amanda looked at one another waiting for the other to speak.

_Maybe this isn't a good idea, _Lee thought as he considered giving in to his nerves and the excruciating silence.

"Okay," he finally said while nodding his head in rapid succession to signal the end of their conversation. He turned to walk away.

Amanda started to rise from her seat to stop his retreat, but suddenly, Lee stopped. _This is ridiculous! _He quickly turned back around.

Amanda dropped back down in her seat and with a composed tone asked, "Was there something else?"

"Yeah, there was," a resolute Lee began. "I was thinking about taking a walk to the sandwich shop for lunch. You know, the one with those salads you like."

She nodded as a warm smile emerged on her face.

"Well, if you're not too busy, maybe you'd like to join me?" The Stetson dimples punctuated his statement.

"Sure!"

"Great!" Lee released the breath he did not know he was holding. "Meet you in the Georgetown foyer in 20 minutes?"

"See you then!"

**TBC**


	6. To the Sandwich Shop

**CHAPTER 4 ~~~~~~~~~~~~**

**On the way to the sandwich shop...**

"So … how's the family," Lee began as he and Amanda casually strolled down the block. Lee hoped he seemed composed, even though his nerves were working overtime.

"Fine," Amanda replied nonchalantly, eyes fixed forward as she matched Lee's pace.

"Boys okay?"

"Oh yes, they're just great." Her response was perkier this time. She glanced at him beaming. It always warmed her heart when he asked about her family. "No permanent scares." She resumed her forward gaze, remembering how it was his heroism that had saved their lives.

Lee nodded his head in silent acknowledgement.

"Except …" Amanda turned to look at him once more and he met her gaze with a look of concern etched on his face.

"… Phillip won't quit asking me about the man who fought off the attacker," she chuckled. "He was so impressed; asked if _he_ could take karate lessons."

Lee's expression lightened and he smiled to expose his dimples. "Sorry," he said sheepishly.

"Not your fault. Wouldn't of had it any other way," she said, looking forward once more.

The lightheartedness of their conversation gave him the courage to press on. He allowed a moment of companionable silence, then after a quick sideways glance in her direction, he delved into the heart of his inquiry.

"And Joe?" he blurted out.

_Here we go. _Amanda braced for the much anticipated discussion.

"How's he settling in?"

"Oh, just fine. The boys are really excited he decided to stay in DC."

The thought of Joe's permanent presence gave Lee a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"So I guess _you_ must be happy he's back in your life now as well." _There, I said it!_ Amanda stopped abruptly as she turned to face him; her brow crinkled in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Lee came to a stop and faced her. Not knowing how he should continue, he decided to quantify his statement.

"I mean," he shifted to the left, "it must be nice to have him back … you know?" He quickly searched for a plausible example. "To help with the parenting ... like a partner." Lee winced internally at the sound of that word leaving his mouth. The last thing he wanted to do was think of Joseph King as Amanda's "partner." That was his job!

She looked at him silently. _What exactly is he fishing for? _ She pondered whether he needed confirmation about where they stood or whether he actually believe it was possible that she and Joe could get back together? _Could he really think our relationship means so little to me? _She knew that could not be further from the truth.

Lee felt extremely uncomfortable under her scrutiny and he shuffled in place. The boyish expression that now consumed his features might have been utterly adorable to Amanda under different circumstances.

_Guess it's time to set the record straight. _She needed to reassure him of his place in her heart.

Amanda shrugged her shoulders. "I guess." She turned and continued walking. Lee was not expecting her sudden retreat so he had to scurry to reclaim his place beside her. He tried to read her expression as they walked.

"Maybe," she spoke again. "I hadn't really thought about it like that." She strategically chose her next words. "I think I've done a pretty good job on my own, with Mother's help of course," she stated in a non-adversarial way. "Sure, it was difficult in the beginning," revealing a little more about her past, "but, over the years, I've learned to be confident … sure of myself," she walked a little taller as she said those words, "and not be afraid in the tough times." She hoped Lee understood she was not just talking about her parenting skills.

Lee continued to look straight ahead. A small smile budded as she spoke. He had watched her grow, as a person and as an agent, over the last two and a half years. He could not help but feel a little pride in her revelation.

"Now that Joe is back," she looked over at him as the statement hung in the air. "I don't see why things would change."

Lee lowered his eyes then glanced over at her with a warm smile, understanding the message she was trying to convey. Amanda looked away and continued.

"The reality of it is … Joe has his life and I have mine. Sure those worlds will converge every now and again, especially when it comes to the boys, but ultimately, nothing will really change at all."

Amanda concluded her monologue just as they arrived at the sandwich shop. She stopped just short of the door as she turned to look at Lee. Her eyes pleaded with him,

_Do you understand?_

_Message received, _he silently communicated back and they both knew that everything was okay again.

Lee audibly exhaled. "Shall we go in?" he said as he opened the door.

"Sure." She headed inside as his hand found its customary place at the small of her back.

**TBC**


	7. On to Fast Food for Thought

**CHAPTER 5 ~~~~~~~~~~~~**

**From the sandwich shop to Fast Food for Thought...**

They entered the deli. "Why don't you grab us a table while I go place our orders," Lee suggested.

"Okay. Oh, and Lee," Amanda called after him, "I want a small …"

"Cesar chicken salad; dressing on the side; hold the croutons" they both said in unison.

"Don't worry, I know what you like Amanda King," Lee said flashing his dimples. The multiple meanings of his statement were not lost on her and suddenly, the room felt quite warm. She quickly found a table and took a seat.

Over the next 45 minutes, Lee and Amanda enjoy their lunch in companionable conversation. They talked about the new assignment and Amanda filled him in further on life at home.

As they exited the shop and started back towards the office, Lee suggested, "How about taking a detour through the park? It's a nice day and we still have some time before Francine will be free." He wasn't ready to slip back into their professional personas just yet.

"Sounds great!" After the last couple of days and the proverbial "bump" in the road of their relationship, Amanda did not mind spending some extra time together either. So, the two headed towards the park, engaged once more in conversation.

Lee relished these private moments alone with Amanda, away from the hustle and bustle of their jobs and her family. He had missed that last week while Joe was around. He had also missed their occasional "contact" with one another, so as they strolled down the sidewalk, he took advantage of every opportunity to rest his hand at the customary spot on her lower back.

"So, this new assignment we're working on seems pretty important," Amanda inquired.

"Yeah, it's kinda high priority; should keep us busy for the next few days." Then a regretfully look shadowed his face. "I was really hoping to call Eddie today though," he stated absentmindedly.

"Who's Eddie?"

"What?!" he said with a startle, realizing he had verbalized that thought. "Oh, he's an agent I use to work with. He left the Agency several years back and started a Marvelous Marvin's franchise in …"

"Did you say Marvelous Marvin's?!" Amanda abruptly interrupted; excitement laced her voice and features.

"Yeah. You know it?"

"Do I know it?! Lee, eevverryoonnee knows Marvelous Marvin's! The boys just LOVE it." She paused. "Guess it's just too 'normal' for you," she joked.

Lee gave her a sarcastic look followed by a knowing half smile as he recalled all the times they had discussed his "normalcy" during the earlier years of their relationship.

"Anyway," he droned, "whatever he wants is going to have to keep until after we wrap up this assignment," he declared.

"Um," she nodded.

They finally reached the park and Lee knew they would have to head back to the Agency soon. Feeling confident they were far enough off the beaten path to avoid detection by any Agency-types, he gently slipped his hand in hers.

The unexpected sensation of this touch melted Amanda and she looked at him with affection. Feeling her eyes upon him, he looked over and regarded her softly. Amanda could see that his confidence in them had returned.

Yep, nothing would really change at all.

**THE END**


End file.
